Windows 8 Beta Availability, Windows Store Details And More

There were lots of Windows 8 news circulated yesterday right from Windows 8 beta availability to whether Windows 8 on ARM will run legacy apps or not.

1) Microsoft To Reveal More Details About Windows Store Next Week:

Microsoft has sent out invitations to some bloggers and local press to detail Windows Store on Windows 8. The event will happen on the same day when Xbox LIVE Dashboard will go live. So far Microsoft has given most of the details on Windows 8 store, I don’t know what’s new they will preview.

This discussion still continues. Mary Jo Foley did a blog post just discussing this stuff,

If Microsoft does do away with the Desktop App on ARM, it also would mean — unless Microsoft also changes its strategy for x86/x64-based Windows 8 tablets — that Windows 8 will be different on different hardware. The Developer Preview Samsung tablets Microsoft gave to attendees of its Build conference include the Desktop app, which allows non-Metro, legacy apps to work on these machines.

I don’t hate the idea that Microsoft might pull the plug on the Desktop App on Windows 8 ARM tablets. In fact, I think it’s the right thing to do if Microsoft and its partners want to position ARM-based Windows tablets as more of a true iPad competitor.

The Next Web yesterday reported that Windows 8 beta will come out in February not at CES which will happen on January. Microsoft is expected to show off Windows 8 beta running on variety of hardware from its partners at CES and public beta following it in February.